Question For The Internet Savvy

7 posts in this topic

After performing a WHOIS search of a US registered and hosted website, the result came up as "Private Registration." My question is: Is there a way of getting past this to find out who really owns this or any other site?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

After performing a WHOIS search of a US registered and hosted website, the result came up as "Private Registration." My question is: Is there a way of getting past this to find out who really owns this or any other site?

Maybe, even if you can't retrieve it from your NSA backup and archiving service, which for some odd reason seems to be a one way operation. Domain registrants have to provide a valid means of contact although there are registration options that allow paying for indirect contact and ownership behind an additional layer maintained by the registrar. You can also trace the IP address and dns records to obtain some kinds of information, and search the internet archives for earlier versions of the web pages. What is the domain?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

After performing a WHOIS search of a US registered and hosted website, the result came up as "Private Registration." My question is: Is there a way of getting past this to find out who really owns this or any other site?

Maybe, even if you can't retrieve it from your NSA backup and archiving service, which for some odd reason seems to be a one way operation. Domain registrants have to provide a valid means of contact although there are registration options that allow paying for indirect contact and ownership behind an additional layer maintained by the registrar. You can also trace the IP address and dns records to obtain some kinds of information, and search the internet archives for earlier versions of the web pages. What is the domain?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

As you noticed, the domain is registered behind a Pennsylvania organization. If you use trace tools and go to the host domain 1and1.com you see on the about page that the company handling the registration is a US subsidary of a European hosting company that handles the domain registration for its customers. Web hosting companies don't reveal the names of their clients.

You need to find out how this group is legally organized: a 501[C]3, etc. If it's incorporated at all then the filing papers are on the public record in the state of incorporation.

The website says the name of their "Council President" is Keith King.

It looks like yet another taxpayer subsidized crony alliance mixing developers and government: "July 8, 2013, the City of Colorado Springs began its pursuit of supplemental funding with the Regional Tourism Act of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade." There is more, promoted with the usual euphemisms that don't tell you any specifics, at http://www.cityforchampions.com/rta/

The projects would be paid for, in part, with money from the state's Regional Tourism Act, which makes state sales tax revenue available for tourism projects if communities demonstrate they'd attract new visitors to Colorado.

Controversy is revealed in the article, with a defensive statement from the mayor insisting that (for now) there are no "new" taxes:

During the meeting at the Pikes Peak Regional Development Center, City for Champions backers spent about 20 minutes giving an overview of the four projects before opening the meeting to questions and comments from the public - some of which were polite, but a few of which were pointed.

When it came to financing the projects, [mayor] Bach reiterated comments he's made that there would be no tax increase for City for Champions - "not on my watch," he said.

The reporter is Rich Laden at 636-0228. You could call him and ask what he knows about who and how much is behind this scheme. Also look through all the other articles and pages at the site for more clues.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

As you noticed, the domain is registered behind a Pennsylvania organization. If you use trace tools and go to the host domain 1and1.com you see on the about page that the company handling the registration is a US subsidary of a European hosting company that handles the domain registration for its customers. Web hosting companies don't reveal the names of their clients.

You need to find out how this group is legally organized: a 501[C]3, etc. If it's incorporated at all then the filing papers are on the public record in the state of incorporation.

The website says the name of their "Council President" is Keith King.

It looks like yet another taxpayer subsidized crony alliance mixing developers and government: "July 8, 2013, the City of Colorado Springs began its pursuit of supplemental funding with the Regional Tourism Act of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade." There is more, promoted with the usual euphemisms that don't tell you any specifics, at http://www.cityforchampions.com/rta/

The projects would be paid for, in part, with money from the state's Regional Tourism Act, which makes state sales tax revenue available for tourism projects if communities demonstrate they'd attract new visitors to Colorado.

Controversy is revealed in the article, with a defensive statement from the mayor insisting that (for now) there are no "new" taxes:

During the meeting at the Pikes Peak Regional Development Center, City for Champions backers spent about 20 minutes giving an overview of the four projects before opening the meeting to questions and comments from the public - some of which were polite, but a few of which were pointed.

When it came to financing the projects, [mayor] Bach reiterated comments he's made that there would be no tax increase for City for Champions - "not on my watch," he said.

The reporter is Rich Laden at 636-0228. You could call him and ask what he knows about who and how much is behind this scheme. Also look through all the other articles and pages at the site for more clues.

My suspicion in this potential boondoggle is that a prominent local developer is behind this. I've only just begun looking for the proverbial smoking gun. There's not a great deal of transparency here. To my knowledge, Keith King is not officially connected with C4C. He is the president of the Colorado Springs City Council.

I was at the same dog and pony show the Gazette reporter Laden was (I'll have to find the video of the mayor making a plea for ideas for getting the economy moving. Rather amusing.)